The present invention relates to document dispensing systems and, more particularly, to document dispensing systems including a digital controller which controls the operation of the dispenser according to a predetermined operational program.
Conventional digitally controlled document dispensers and document dispensing systems operate according to a software program stored in an integrated circuit memory installed in the dispenser electronics. A particular document dispenser may become inadequate or obsolete as a particular dispenser operator's needs change. An inadequate or obsolete dispenser must either be replaced or physically modified to update its operating characteristics. Replacement or physical modification of document dispensers is a labor intensive and time consuming process because it is necessary for a technician to visit each dispenser. Thus, according to the conventional dispenser arrangement, the advantages of updating or modifying a particular dispenser or group of dispensers are often outweighed by the costs involved in performing the update or modification. The imbalance between cost and advantage is particularly acute in document dispensing systems employing a plurality of document dispensers. As a result, many dispensers will not be updated or modified even if an advantageous modification is available. Further, in dispensing systems employing a plurality of document dispensers, it may often only be cost effective to modify or update a portion of the dispensers in the group because of the limitations of the conventional modification and updating process. The resulting lack of dispensing system uniformity is likely to lead to confusion and inefficient system management. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which the operating characteristics of a single document dispenser, or a group of document dispensers, can be updated and modified at a reduced cost and with an minimal amount of manual labor.